Industrial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems often rely on gas powered combustion to produce heat. This typically involves combusting natural gas in a burner or boiler to heat a gas or liquid. The heated gas or liquid may be used in an HVAC system, such as by directly heating air that is forced through ducts, or heating water which circulates through radiators. Boilers and burners may be used for other purposes as well, such as providing hot water for washing, providing heat for manufacturing processes, co-generation of electricity, etc.
One key component on many industrial boilers and burners is a gas valve. A simple system may use a gas valve connected with one or more thermostats. The gas valve shuts on and off in response to the boiler temperature satisfying certain limits. More sophisticated systems may rely on a number of sensors and microprocessor controllers. These control components can provide enhanced safety, better control of system outputs, increase energy efficiency, and improve other aspects of system operation.
When installing a gas valve, a technician may need to run wires, plumbing lines up to a valve, and install other structural components separate from valves and other control devices. This often involves setting up junction boxes and other peripheral structures between components. Conduits are fabricated and connected between the junction boxes and components, and wires are run through the conduits and terminated at the component devices. Finally the circuits are assembled inside the junction boxes via terminal blocks or other field serviceable connectors. This assembly of peripheral items such as conduit and junction boxes can be time consuming, and in some installations may require a significant amount of space. Therefore, a way to simplify boiler/burner installations is desirable.